Universal Pictures, Acres Entertainment and Happy Madison Productions present a 140 minute PG-13 film directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Adam Shandler (Chuck Levine), Kevin James (Larry Valentine), Jessica Biel (Alex McDonough), Dan Aykroyd (Captain Tucker), Ving Rhames (Duncan), Steve Buscemi (Clinton Fitzer), Nicholas Turturro (Renaldo Pinera), Allen Covert (Steve), Rachel Dratch (Benefits Supervisor), Richard Chamberlain (Councilman Banks), Nick Swardson (Kevin McDonough), Blake Clark (Crazy Homeless Man), Mary Pat Gleason (Teresa), Matt Winston (Glen Aldrich), Lance Bass (Band Leader), Cole Morgen (Eric Valentine), Shelby Adamowsky (Tori Valentine) with Chandra West (Doctor Honey), Billy Concha (Fireman) and Robert Harvey (Fireman).
Two Brooklyn fireman at engine 506, one widowed with two children and the other single and a big womanizer work side by side saving lives, some small and some the size of Shamu from burning buildings. Sometimes even Chuck and Larry have saved each other. At 4 am one morning Larry reaches beyond the fire and asks Chuck to help him in another way. Since the loss of his wife, Larry needs to figure out a way to save his pension and what better way than to have a domestic partner in New York. Who better to wake up next to every morning other than his partner and best friend, Chuck. Amazing what friends will do for each other and in this film these two guys go beyond the sexist remarks, bigotry and stereotypes not to mention the use of inappropriate language to forge a true relationship.
Captain Tucker has a hard time believing their new found love and everyone at the fire department has an even harder time accepting it let alone during showers, lord forbid someone drop the soap! When the city of Brooklyn sets the law officials out after these two guys they must prove that they are really in love. They hire a lawyer, Alex, played by the ever so sexy down to her panties, Jessica Biel, (one lucky man Justin Timberlake), to fight for their gay rights. But the hound dog himself, Clinton Fitzer, does everything in his powers to bring these two fraudulent perpetrators to justice.
What better way to make a house look like a home than for Chuck and Larry to run off to the 2 Hearts Wedding Chapel in the politically correct hills of Canada. So now they return to Brooklyn with their sights on making Larry's home the new site of gay stereotype hell complete with his new husband, a gay tap dancing son, music by Cher and Wham and movies by Liza Minnelli. In this film not only does Bob Barker make another Sandler film debut but lets just say the postman always delivers in the end as well.
Chuck takes a turn to the left when he not only discovers his interest in Alex but also discovers her sibling Kevin at an Aids benefit at the Brooklyn Arts Center and decides for once in his life that people are people no matter what race, religion or sexual orientation they are and lays a hard one on a right wing bigot protestor using profanity that he himself once used but now finds deplorable.
While Chuck is enjoying the company of girls day with Alex, Larry is sticking up for his rights at school defending his own and his child's sexuality. Stereotypes come and go throughout this film along with situations that the gay society deals with everyday of their lives. Hats off to the cast and crew for making a film that not only makes you laugh aloud but delivers an important message that will hopefully sink into the hard headed bigots that think they own this piece of land that all mankind shares on a daily basis. As one "bad ass" fireman said, "there is nothing worse than pretending to be something you're not". As one of the sexiest women to bless the big screen said, "all good men are either gay or married", sometimes both. Overall, love comes in all forms and sometimes it is necessary to say you're sorry in order to be partners for life.
In the end, the trial moves forth to expose Chuck and Larry as a fraud. But, remember true friends are ones you can count on through thick and thin and as Tori exposes to the court, same sex relationships break way beyond the human species when you look at manatees, chimps, dolphins and even whales to name a few. Truth is told and justice is served thanks to Councilman Banks. Once again a marriage takes place in Canada since the south is still not in sync with the serenades of Lance Bass. Albeit, friends to the end in the freedom of Niagara Falls.
This film is full of hysterical lines wiped throughout some compromising situations sure to make you enjoy it's silly scenes laced and leathered in with moments of importance but sometimes predictability. For the die hard red neck Sandler fans this film may pose a threat to their one sided mentality but thanks to a good message maybe it will make an imprint on the brains of the intelligent. It doesn't club you like a hunter to a baby seal but it surely delivers a much needed message to our society today that hate need not survive in a world that is so screwed up already. A great cast, brilliant acting especially between the leading men to a well directed and written film sure to have people taking a girls day out to buy the soundtrack.
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.